Did you know that if you live in the Western part of the world, you can thank a pope for your cup of coffee?
If it wasn’t for a certain forward-thinking pope who was willing to go against the counsel of his advisers, coffee might never have found its way to you.
According to legend, the “coffee question” came to a head in 1600 while Pope Clement VIII reigned as pontiff. Coffee was already popular in the Muslim world and found its way to Christian Europe. And for some people, that was a major cause of concern.
Wine was popular among Christians, and of course, was used at Mass for the Eucharist.
Muslims aren’t supposed to drink wine, and it seemed coffee had become something of a cultural substitute. As a result, some people thought that coffee in some way represented an anti-Christian beverage, a “bitter invention of Satan.” They said the pope should condemn and forbid it for Christians.
But Pope Clement wasn’t one to make a hasty decision. Before making any ruling, he said he wanted to try it first.
…And he loved it!
“This Satan’s drink is so delicious,” he exclaimed, “that it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it!”
Some versions of the story even say he joked that Catholics should “baptize” this so‑called devil’s drink and make it a Christian beverage.
So he gave his blessing to coffee and the rest is history.
Historians usually treat this as a pious legend rather than a documented decree, but it captures how Catholics eventually embraced coffee.
So the next time you sip your morning brew, you can thank Pope Clement VIII, who refused to condemn a drink before tasting it.